


Once Upon A December

by Heartithateyou



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartithateyou/pseuds/Heartithateyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve plans on spending his first Christmas in seventy years alone... But he's not alone in the tower.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon A December

"Thought I'd be the only one here, Spangles." He hears a quiet voice say behind him. He tenses slightly at the voice, inadvertently clenching his jaw as he turns. 

In the past months he'd be living at the tower, he'd gotten use to the other man, the got along well enough and seemed fluid when they fought side by side. For moments, he swore he felt a closeness between them, sharing a laugh or when Tony would sling an arm around him. But as quickly as he feels these moments, Tony closes himself off and disappears inside himself again, and he reminds himself to ignore whatever feelings his heart it telling him.

And today, his first Christmas in seventy years and the first one where he was utterly without anyone he loved, he wasn't too keen to be reminded the only other person who might wish him a 'Merry Christmas' was a man who considered him a relic.

"Don't worry Tony, I just wanted to grab some hot chocolate, I'll be gone soon." He murmured back, never taking his eyes off the pot of cocoa in front of him. He normally wouldn't have even bothered coming to the communal kitchen but refilling his own cupboards had missed his attention, and he refused to let Tony order them. 

"You don't have to, you know, communal floor and all, you're more than welcome." He hears Tony spout quickly, with the slight tapping sound of whatever the billionaire was entering into his tablet. "Or, you know, we could hang out or something."

His brain had to process this two times before it really clicked, in all the time they'd been living together, hanging out wasn't really an invitation he received from Tony. Sure, they saw each other plenty with the team and all, but never one on one.

So why was he inviting him today?

Because he was taking pity on him, he suddenly realized, feeling his stomach clench at the notion. He knew it was sort of sad and pathetic he was alone on Christmas, but being reminded that everyone else knew it too was even worse.

"Tony," He says, turning around, hoping he can't see the hurt in his eyes. "I'm not a child, okay? You don't have to baby me, I've fought against super villians, I can deal with spending a Christmas by myself, alright?"

For a minute, the only sound in the apartment is the soft sound of snow outside, their eyes locked on each others. But there's something different in Tony's eyes, not the usual facade of carefree, cocky genius he's always seen.

Its like for once, he's not putting on a show.

"Well maybe I can't." Tony says quietly, his eyes lowering to the ground, placing his tablet on the kitchen table. "Maybe I don't want to spend another Christmas alone, be reminded of when my parents left me with my nanny so they could go off with their friends, the first Christmas after they died..." 

"Tony... I'm sorry." He says, finally realizing he wasn't the only broken one in the room. 

"Don't worry about it, its fine." Tony says, looking up with a bright, practiced smile on his face. "Sure there's something in my lab I should be messing with anyway."

"Tony." He shouts as the other man, goes to leave the kitchen. He doesn't know what he means to say, but it seems like somethings finally broken between them. Like the careful line they've been treading has finally been crossed. "Would it really be better, to spend Christmas with someone you barely like?"

He can feel his voice quiver slightly at this, his voice clenching without knowing why.

"You really think I don't like you?" Tony whispers, his back still to him.

"You... you never seem like you do." He whispers back, just as softly.

"How we are right now, we're okay. We work as a team, how we are now is fine." Tony says, pausing a moment. "So... So what if we do hang out more, what if we try for more? So what if I fuck things up?"

His words hit him like a hammer, did he mean more like friends or more as in... more?

"Tony..." He says walking closer to the other man. 

"I fuck things up Steve. That's what I'm good at, that's what I do. Look how things went with Pepper, she's gone and its my fault." He can hear the shake in Tony's voice, still with his back to him.

"Tony, shhh." He says, his chest merely an inch from Tony's back. He hesitates slightly, before wrapping his arms around the other man. "You're not a fuck up, Tony."

"Steve..." He can feel the other man try to close in on himself, hiding from everything inside of him. 

"Tony...." He murmurs against his neck, whispering into his ear. "I love you."

"Steve, you shouldn't love me, please, I am going to fuck this up, what would I do if-"

"Shhh, Tony, stop." He murmurs, holding him tighter. "You're so amazing and brave and brilliant, and its alright if you can't see it right now, because I plan on showing you every day how incredible you are."

"I..." Tony whispers, like he's finally letting his defenses down."I love you, Steve."

He can't help the smile that breaks across his face. "Merry Christmas Tony."

"Merry Christmas Steve." Tony says, and he can practically hear the smile in his voice. "Sorry I didn't get you a present."

He has to chuckle at this, of course he would think to that. "You already did Tony."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please feel free to leave any comments!


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